By ROB HULL
Drivers will be able to use a new 'universal' smartphone app that is designed to make paying at different car parks easier than before.
The Department for Transport has announced a new 'one-app-fits-all' smartphone platform has been developed - at no cost to the taxpayer - by members of the British Parking Association.
This follows a series of government-backed trials to help motorists pay to park with ease and avoid QR-code scams that have been swindling drivers in recent years.
Lilian Greenwood, minister for the future of roads, welcomed the development, saying the Government is 'on the side of drivers and dedicated to giving everyone simpler, more flexible parking'.
However, for two in five motorists, it's not the method of parking payment they want to use.
Two-fifths of drivers recently polled by the AA said paying with cash is still their preferred option - and older motorists in particular say they will avoid car parks that don't have provisions for coin payments.
Drivers will be able to use a new 'universal' smartphone app that is designed to make paying at different car parks a whole lot easier than before. But most drivers would prefer to use cash...
- Cash: 40%
- Contactless: 28%
- Pay via app: 14%
- Chip & Pin: 12%
- Pay by phone: 2%
- QR code: 1%
- Other: 1%
Source: AA poll of 13,700 drivers in Feb 2025
The 'National Parking Platform' allows users to pay to leave their car at sites operated by the country's biggest providers.
This includes RingGo, JustPark and PayByPhone, which each have their own dedicated apps, forcing drivers to download multiple applications to their phones and repeatedly uploading the same billing information.
The move to a single app-based payment system will help drivers to avoid 'inconsistent parking rules, clunky user experiences and unnecessary barriers to something that should be simple', the DfT said.
The platform will be developed and run by private parking companies, in partnership with councils, on a not-for-profit basis.
A recent poll of 13,700 UK drivers conducted by the AA found that just 14% of motorists say app-based car park payments are their preferred option
The DfT promised that it will 'operate under clear terms to ensure transparency, sustainability, and public value', though caveated that the government will monitor the platform to ensure compliance.
The application has already been rolled out to 10 local authorities and has proven successful, handling more than 500,000 transactions per month.
The DfT is yet to confirm when it will provide nationwide coverage.
Greenwood said: 'I'm delighted that this fantastic project is being taken on by the parking sector with no extra cost to taxpayers.
'This is public infrastructure done right: built by government, shaped with councils, and now delivered by the sector that knows it best, at a time when we're investing a record £1.6billion through our Plan for Change, to mend our pothole-ridden roads which damage cars, and £4.8billion to deliver new road infrastructure that will better connect people.'
The majority of Britons (40%) would prefer to use cash but face the reality that councils are rapidly phasing-out traditional coin payment machines
While the National Parking Platform will streamline the payment process using a smartphone, just 14 per cent of drivers polled by the AA say apps are their preferred method.
The majority of Britons (40 per cent) would prefer to use cash but face the reality that councils are rapidly phasing-out traditional coin payment machines.
A number of authorities have already converted all of their car parks to cashless sites, and more local councils are looking into the option in an effort to slash administrative costs.
- 18-24: Contactless (37%)
- 25-34: Contactless (43%)
- 35-44: Contactless (38%)
- 45-54: Cash (32%)
- 55-64: Cash (40%)
- +65 years: Cash (46%)
The AA's recent survey of more than 13,700 drivers found a huge age divide in terms of ideal payment methods.
Just one in 10 (12 per cent) of drivers aged 18 to 24 would pick coins and notes as their preferred choice.
Some 37 per cent of young drivers would ideally choose contactless payment with a card or through mobile payment (e.g. Apple Pay), whereas 35 per cent would choose payment by app in a major swing towards technology.
Contactless payments are the top choice among all drivers up to the age of 44, though thereafter it is cash that remains king.
A majority 46 per cent of over 65s - those likely less well versed with smartphone applications - say they would rather pay to park with coins.
Jack Cousens, head of roads policy for the AA, said: 'With the high street already under strain, it seems counterintuitive for car parks to refuse a customer willing to pay.
'Allowing parking to be paid by a multitude of options seems the best solution for both car parks and drivers, but those opting to pay by app should take note that doing so could be more expensive as administration costs are added to the rates.'
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